Ringtone creator asks, 'Can your dog hear me now?'
By Bill Kirby
I would throw my phone away if I could get away with it.
- Tom Hanks
My 12-year-old son is reviewing cell phone ringtones on the Internet. He thinks
he needs a change, and naturally his favorite is one that has a ring so highly
pitched that old folks (insert Mom's and Dad's names here) can't hear it.
His mother thinks there is something subversive about all this, but I maintain
that anything that creates less noise is a good thing.
Finally, he settles on one he thinks he'll like and plays it.
I can't hear it.
His mother can't hear it.
Unfortunately, he can't hear it, either.
"Son," I say sadly, "not much use in having a phone ring that you can't hear."
Then we notice something. Whenever he pushes the button on his computer screen
to try out the ringtone, the little dog comes charging down the hall barking his
shaggy head off.
The first time it happened, we thought there was someone at the door. The second
time we thought the dog wanted attention.
Finally, we put two and two together and figured the dog can hear the
high-pitched sound that we cannot.
My son now thinks everything is solved.
"Whenever the dog starts barking," he says with every appearance of rational
thought, "I'll just answer my phone."
